ATV Sports New Zealand
ATV Sports New Zealand is a group of sports-oriented TV channels O&O by WMFL Corporation under WMFL Worldwide. ATV Sports NZ-1 was launched in 1990, followed by ATV Sports NZ-2 in 1997, ATV Sports NZ-3 in 2003 & ATV Sports NZ-Highlights in 2007. The name was borrowed from Australia's ATV Sports (WMFL Worldwide's sister network to ATV Sports New Zealand). All of these channels are carried on New Zealand's satellite provider, SKY Network TV & on a handful of cable providers in the country as well ATV Sports NZ-1 ATV Sports NZ-1 is the original ATV Sports channel in New Zealand. It was 1st introduced in 1990 as ATV Sports NZ. It's New Zealand's premium all-sport channel offering a full line-up of popular local & international sporting events, often LIVE 24/7. ATV Sports NZ-1 features New Zealand's most popular sports, including rugby union. It shows LIVE coverage of the Super 14 & Air New Zealand Cup & has broadcast all of the All Blacks home & away games since 1996. It bought the rights to New Zealand cricket matches in 1998 & currently all of New Zealand's international cricket matches are televised LIVE, home & away, as well as coverage from Australia, England & India, including the Indian Premier League. Association football is also very big in ATV Sports in New Zealand, it shows all Hyundai A-League matches as well as matches from the English Barclays Premier League. ATV Sports NZ-1 also shows all netball international matches & it currently shows all ANZ Championship matches LIVE & includes replays & a weekly show called On-Court. ATV Sports NZ-1 also shows basketball, golf, tennis, hockey & fishing. ATV Sports NZ-1 also produces it's own shows including LIVE interviews with sporting personalities, build-ups to major events & topical discussions from experts in their respective sporting fields. The seasonal shows include Friday Night Football, National Bank Cricket Company, Vodafone NRL Full-Time, Try Time & Reunion. ATV Sports NZ-1 currently broadcasts in a 16:9 HDTV format ATV Sports NZ-2 ATV Sports NZ-2 is the 2nd ATV Sports channel in New Zealand, introduced in 1997. ATV Sports NZ-2 focuses on sports that do not feature prominently on ATV Sports NZ-1. 1 of it's staples is the English Barclays Premier League. It also shows almost all National Rugby League matches, with every New Zealand Warriors game LIVE & all LIVE international rugby league matches involving New Zealand. It also shows both Super League matches LIVE. A new rugby league show, 40/20 airs LIVE on Sunday afternoons & features a round-up of the round's matches as well as interviews with players, discussion amongst the panel & previews. The show 1st appeared in 2009. It also screens repeats & delayed coverage of LIVE events from ATV Sports NZ-1. Just like ATV Sports NZ-1, ATV Sports NZ-2 also broadcasts in a 16:9 HDTV format ATV Sports NZ-3 ATV Sports NZ-3 is the 3rd ATV Sports channel in New Zealand, intoduced in 2003. The line-up includes LIVE coverage of events & replays of sports already screened on ATV Sports NZ-1 or NZ-2. ATV Sports NZ-3 also carries round-the-clock sports news with & from ATV Sports News. Unlike ATV Sports NZ-1 & ATV Sports NZ-2, ATV Sports NZ-3 doesn't broadcast in a 16:9 HDTV format. Instead, ATV Sports NZ-3 currently broadcasts in a 16:9 SDTV Widescreen format ATV Sports NZ-Highlights ATV Sports NZ-Highlights is ATV Sports New Zealand's highlights channel. The basic premise of ATV Sports NZ-Highlights revolves around a 2-hour block of differing 30-minute sports highlights that is repeated every 2-hours & then the content is updated only when there is new sport that has happened. Unlike ATV Sports NZ-1 & ATV Sports NZ-2 & just like ATV Sports NZ-3, ATV Sports NZ-Highlights doesn't broadcast in a 16:9 HDTV format. Instead & just like ATV Sports NZ-3, ATV Sports NZ-Highlights currently broadcasts in a 16:9 SDTV Widescreen format Temporary ATV Sports NZ Channels During February of 2010, 4 more ATV Sports NZ channels were launched in order to broadcast the 2010 Winter Olympics Games LIVE. These new channels are: *ATV Sports NZ-4: Ch. 131 *ATV Sports NZ-5: Ch. 132 *ATV Sports NZ-6: Ch. 133 *ATV Sports NZ-7: Ch. 134 These channels were aired in a 16:9 HDTV format. They have since been closed since the ending of the Oympics, but however they will be returned when needed, eg. 2010 Commonwealth Games External links